Community Foundation of Greater Birminghamhttp://www.cfbham.org
Community Foundation of Greater BirminghamTue, 22 May 2018 16:41:18 +0000en-UShourly1https://wordpress.org/?v=4.9.5cfgbhttps://feedburner.google.comHawaii Island Volcano Relief Effortshttp://feedproxy.google.com/~r/cfgb/~3/BBL_wPGoT3s/
Fri, 18 May 2018 21:36:51 +0000http://www.cfbham.org/?p=13668The Hawaii Community Foundation (HCF), together with Anderson-Beck Fund, Jack’s Fund and the Darrin & Darien Gee Family Fund, have established the Hawaii Island Volcano Recovery Fund to assist with recovery efforts in support of Hawai‘i Island communities affected by the Kilauea volcano eruption. The Foundation will work with nonprofits throughout the area to distribute funds as needed.

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Fri, 23 Mar 2018 18:47:24 +0000http://www.cfbham.org/?p=13494Several counties in central and east Alabama sustained extensive damage from the tornadoes that swept through the state on March 19, 2017. Two of our partner organizations have set up funds to help with relief efforts. For more information:

All donations will be used to help with both immediate, basic needs and long-term recovery services.

]]>http://www.cfbham.org/donors/tornado-relief-efforts/Make Your Voice Count Shelby Countyhttp://feedproxy.google.com/~r/cfgb/~3/aI4dKv7jRXk/
Thu, 22 Mar 2018 14:21:35 +0000http://www.cfbham.org/?p=13482“I hope you will be able to participate in an important conversation for all residents in Shelby County. The Community Foundation of Greater Birmingham has partnered with us and many other entities in our region to improve the quality of life for all residents in Shelby County. On April 3rd they are convening a community conversation to find out what you value about our region and how we can all invest in making it a better place to live. I hope you will join us.”

Alex DudchockCounty Manager, Shelby County

Community voices: make your voice count
Tuesday, April 3, 2018
11:00am to 1:00pm
American Village, Liberty HallLunch will be served

At the Community Foundation of Greater Birmingham, we know that that when we come together as a community to listen and learn from each other, we have the power to impact our neighborhoods, communities and lives. Our mission, as a foundation for the community, is to be a vehicle to ignite passion for transformational change in our region. We believe that listening to the community has to be the foundation for this mission. Your voice can help us better understand what we should invest in to support transformational change for our region.

On April 3rd, residents of Shelby County are invited to be part of this conversation to discuss not only what’s great about our community, but also ways to make it even better — what is your vision for a more sustainable, just, safe, strong and vibrant community. This is an opportunity to gather around a table with friends, neighbors and maybe even a few new faces to share your ideas and thoughts about what we can do, working together to make this vision a reality. Every voice counts.

Remy Fund grants support nonprofit organizations that work with traditional companion animals such as dogs, cats and horses. Grant applications for rescue/shelter programs, spay/neuter programs, animal assisted therapy programs, education and advocacy programs and service dog programs will be considered. Designated 501(c)3 organizations that serve Jefferson, Shelby, St. Clair, Blount and Walker are eligible to apply for the grants, for more information review the current grant application guidelines: Remy Fund Grant Guidelines 2018

Starting March 15, 2018 through April 30, 2018, you can submit your application through an on-line process by clicking here.

Grant decisions will be announced this summer. If a nonprofit organization has questions about the application process, contact Kim Rogers.

About the Remy Fund: Ken Jackson established the Remy Fund, a special Field of Interest Fund of the Community Foundation of Greater Birmingham, in 2010 and named it in honor of his late dog, Remy, a Jack Russell /Shih Tzu mix. Jackson has provided $750,000 to the fund which, along with generous contributions from community donors, has enabled more grant-making dollars to go to animal related programs each year.

Since 2010, the Remy Fund has provided over $235,000 to support diverse animal organizations improving the lives of pets and humans. Organizations receiving funds in 2017 include:

Walker County Humane Society, $6000, for their “Fix the Momma” program, providing no-cost spay services for dogs and cats in Walker County

Bama Bully Rescue, $5000, to provide care for pit bulls and other “bully” breeds that have been abandoned, abused or neglected

Greater Birmingham Humane Society, $5000, to support operating costs of Alabama Shelter Vets Clinic, which provides spay/neuter and other life-saving surgeries for GBHS animals as well as any area rescue partner needing medical assistance or routine and preventative care for their animals

Hand in Paw, $5000, to support the agency’s training and volunteer program with a goal of improving human health and well-being through animal-assisted therapy

The Red Barn, $5000, to provide care for the rescue horses in the animal-assisted equine therapy program, many of which have special dietary and medical needs

ASPCI (Animal Shelter of Pell City), $3000, to provide low-cost spay and neuter certificates for St. Clair county residents

Special Equestrians, $2000, to provide care for horses in the animal-assisted equine therapy program

If you are a non-profit organization that serves our five-county area (Jefferson, St. Clair, Blount, Shelby, and Walker), then you have an opportunity coming up soon to join with the Community Foundation as we work together to achieve results for our community!

Our next available grant round is Cycle 1, with Brief Proposals due by February 16, 2018. To be considered for this round of grants from our Community Funds, proposals should address strategies for the following Results:

The Community Foundation has an interest in proposals across all four results that address issues of aging and reference the findings of our EngAge report on aging-related needs in the Greater Birmingham area. Please note, applications for the grant cycle are not required to have a focus on aging.

The Community Foundation of Greater Birmingham has announced $1,344,600 in grants to 36 area nonprofits that focus on improving economic security and further developing sustainable, livable communities in Jefferson, Blount, Shelby, St. Clair and Walker counties. These grants support a collection of programs ranging from the creation of CO.SHOP, a shared retail opportunity for CO.STARTERS small business graduates to transitional housing for victims of human trafficking.

A total of $2.4 million has been awarded through the Community Funds competitive grant making program in 2017, including $1,063,500 in May toward results related to education and health. Support for the grants came from Donor Advised Funds through the Community Foundation’s Giving Together program.

Overall, the grants for Cycle 2 of 2017 focus on two parts of our four-part Results Framework: $536,500 to ensure that communities are sustainable, livable and vibrant and $807,100 to ensure individuals and families are economically secure. Each grant focuses on a specific strategy to reach the Results our community has said it wants. The next cycle of grant applications opens on Friday, January 19, 2018, for proposals addressing two Results: “Children are successful along the educational pipeline” and “People can lead healthy lives.”

The Community Foundation unites the power of philanthropy with innovative strategies and connects people from all walks of life to understand community issues and create opportunities for positive, lasting change and improve the life of our region. The Foundation has served as permanent, charitable endowment for Jefferson, Blount, Shelby, St. Clair and Walker counties since 1959. We awards grants to non-profits throughout the area from donor-advised funds as well as through a biannual competitive grant process. Through grant making, convening and leading, the Community Foundation empowers donors to pursue their own personal passions and to collaborate with us in transforming the Greater Birmingham area.

Brian Hamilton is president and CEO of Trillion Communications Corp., a national Tier 1 supplier of Telco infrastructure products and services in the connectivity industry. Prior to Trillion, Brian served in a variety of roles at AG Gaston Enterprises, including CEO of AG Gaston Engineering and Managing Director of AG Gaston Construction. A product of the Birmingham City Schools System, Brian and his family reside in the Birmingham metropolitan area.

Edgar Marx Jr, is president of Marx Brothers, Inc., a leading producer of coconut products for the retail grocery and foodservice markets. Edgar serves on the board of the Birmingham Airport Authority, Red Mountain Park Fund, and Leadership Birmingham. He is a former trustee of the Birmingham Museum of Art and Highlands School; and a former board member of the Public Affairs Research Council of Alabama and Leadership Alabama. Edgar received a BA from the University of Denver.

Lissa Tyson served on the Alabama Regional Board of the American Red Cross, the McWane Science Center Board of Directors, and was a member of the Canterbury United Methodist Church Lucille Beeson Fund committee. She currently serves on the UAB Comprehensive Cancer Center Advisory Board and the McWane Science Center Foundation Board of Directors. Lissa is a past president of the Junior League of Birmingham, a past chair of the United Way of Central Alabama’s Tocqueville Society, a member of Leadership Birmingham’s Class of 2011, and a member of Leadership Alabama’s Class of 2015-2016. Lissa was named a Woman of Distinction by the Girl Scouts of North-Central Alabama in 2014.

Jared Weinstein is a native of Birmingham and is currently a Partner at Thrive Capital, a New York-based venture capital firm. Jared serves as a board member to several Thrive investments including Capsule, Justworks, Joyable, Raisin, OpenGov, and was on the founding board of Oscar Health. Prior to Thrive, Jared spent seven years at The White House in various roles. In 2013, he founded the Overton Project, a social investment platform that has focused on scaling national best-in-class impact organizations to Birmingham – specifically Breakthrough Collaborative, Venture for America, and Microsoft’s TEALS computer science program. Jared received a BA in Public Policy from Duke University and an MBA from the Stanford Graduate School of Business.

A “community of builders with integrity”, Venture for America (VFA) creates economic opportunity in American cities by mobilizing the next generation of entrepreneurs and equipping them with the skills and resources they need to create jobs. Through a two-year fellowship program, recent college graduates learn important startup skills at a five-week Training Camp, apply for jobs within VFA’s vetted company network, and work for two years as full-time, salaried fellows at startups in one of 18 U.S. cities. When Fellows are ready to start a company—be it two years after college or ten—VFA has the resources (like a crowdfunding competition, accelerator and seed fund) to help make that dream a reality.

VFA is headquartered in New York City and began its Birmingham Fellowship in 2015. The Community Foundation’s $9,000 grant supported VFA Birmingham’s first Job Fair. The goal of the Job Fair was to attract and vet Fellows and employer partners. The success of the event was directly correlated to the number of participating potential employer companies and Fellows who visited Birmingham and experienced our vibrant city center.

Over 75% of the visiting 43 Fellows and participating 15 companies had never before stepped foot in the city of Birmingham. VFA’s Director of the Southeast Region, Sara Williamson, said it was an incredible moment hearing new and veteran entrepreneurs from across the country in awe of our great city, stating, “If I had known this was Birmingham, I would have visited sooner.” The Job Fair provided VFA the platform to showcase Birmingham in a way that left a lasting positive impression of our Magic City on the visiting Fellows and companies. Since this first Job Fair, the number of VFA Fellows and employer partners have grown in Birmingham. The 2017 VFA Birmingham Fellow cohort was the largest class in the nation and Birmingham is ranked number one for city with the happiest Fellows!

Thank you for supporting this grant to recruit talented and innovative individuals and companies to our region!

To learn more about Venture for America, Birmingham’s Fellows and employer partners, please visit their website: Venture For America

2017 has provided no shortage of opportunities for sharing what we have to meet the needs of those devastated by earthquakes, hurricanes and man-made cataclysms. Unfortunately disasters and tragic events are perennial aspects of human society, and so we regularly find ourselves wishing we could do more.

Smart year-end giving is one way to do more, and the Community Foundation provides uniquely powerful tools for expanding the capacity of your charitable impact.

BECOMING A FUND HOLDER provides 3 significant benefits:

Simplify your giving with an efficient alternative to a private foundation

Amplify your giving by donating appreciated assets today that can be spent down later

Expand your impact by accessing our broad and deep knowledge of community needs and opportunities

Contact our Lora Terry to find out how simple it is to open a fund and join our community of donors.

CURRENT FUND HOLDERS, now is the time to think about turning your appreciated assets into charitable dollars, avoiding capital gain taxes on those assets in addition to securing an income tax deduction for 2017. For example, if you have an IRA and a required minimum distribution in excess of your personal needs, you can avoid tax liability altogether with an IRA Rollover that provides a permanent stream of income that will well exceed the annual gift you normally make to your favorite charity from your checking account.

Talk to your professional advisor about ways you can make the most of what you have today in order to give away more tomorrow, or call our Director of Gift Planning, Brooke Coleman for help with smart giving.

]]>http://www.cfbham.org/donors/give-smart/Hurricane Relief Efforts Updatehttp://feedproxy.google.com/~r/cfgb/~3/hj5RygFQ8sM/
Mon, 09 Oct 2017 13:30:29 +0000http://www.cfbham.org/?p=13075Our staff members recently participated on a call with the Council on Foundations and representatives of other Community Foundations from Puerto Rico, St. Croix, and US Virgin Islands and FEMA. We received an in-depth update on current status of rescue and recovery needs identified by FEMA and foundations on the ground. Here are highlights:

Dr. Nelson Colon of Puerto Rico reports that only 10% of power and 40% of water systems are working. Sea and airports are opening slowly. Only three of more than 100 radio stations are fully functioning. Less than 10% of hotels are functioning.

The Council on Foundations (COF) is focusing on four strategies in Puerto Rico:

Building capacity of nonprofits to be social first responders

Building capacity of community clinics to provide services to low income neighborhoods and reestablish regular services

Working on readiness of teachers and students to return to school around mid-October (giving teachers “mini grants” to help get rooms ready and giving students backpack).

Working with an arts group to integrate into schools

The COF made two recent grants: one for women for emotional counseling and support and one to provide microfinance. They are also prepared to receive supplies.

The most vulnerable communities are suffering most and they are also the most unreachable for most organizations.

Dr. Anna Scarbriel of the Community Foundation of the US Virgin Islands (CFVI) reports that many of the updates from Puerto Rico are the same in USVI. Virgin Islands Recovery task force is working to strategically apply funds that are coming in. People of PR sent supplies to USVI before Maria. Other updates include:

Irma: St. Thomas and St. John were able to run disaster recovery from St. Croix.

Maria directly impacted St. Croix. They were hit by 2 category 5 hurricanes in 2 weeks.

USPS is up and running to a degree. No landlines are working; relying on cell service which is hit or miss. Want to make sure efforts are all collaborative.

Main hospitals will have to be rebuilt. All critical patients have been evacuated and that will continue.

Schools tentatively planning to open next week. At least 3 will not be able to operate moving forward so Dept. of Education is working on new plan for those students.

Established Fund for the VI the day after Irma hit.

Bloomberg philanthropy and others have jumped in to help. CFVI will be taking lead to coordinate recovery efforts and hiring a program manager for this fund.

Have made 10 grants to 10 organizations totaling $250,000. Granted to organizations on three main islands that are established, trusted. and working on the ground. Geography and topography are big challenges to getting relief to people.

Deanna James of St. Croix Foundation reports that the foundation did somethings right after island was almost completely destroyed in Hugo, so they were more prepared this time. They do have a huge expat community who have been generous, but the problem arises with handling the volume of donations (primarily goods).

Disasters like this only widen the equity gap (as mentioned by others).

As operating foundation, they are working to help coordinate a more collaborative and cohesive response.

And trying to take a holistic view of what community development will look like after these hurricanes.

Multi-pronged approach: 1) coordinating and supporting front line relief efforts (had full connectivity after Irma, so they were able to help St. Thomas until Maria). Working to convene and connect the front line teams. 2) Have been making an effort to build more partnerships and relationships on the mainland US. 3) most donations are going to disaster relief that would normally go to nonprofits, so they are trying to fill those gaps.

After previous disaster, the Foundation was given a block of buildings and buried all utilities when renovating them. Because of this their connectivity and electricity was back up in one week. Have become a de facto incubator for several other nonprofits that lost buildings.

Excited about being a leader in the redevelopment efforts and using lessons learned to help guide strategic rebuilding efforts. Need to build capacity to be self-servicing in the future during the waiting period before relief can arrive from mainland U.S.

Have developed a relief fund to support long term efforts. Are working with St. John CF to coordinate efforts.

FEMA has designated a staff member to be a liaison between the agency and philanthropic organizations. For information on giving opportunities click here.